A Snake's Eyes
by flowershops
Summary: Pinepaw is a normal apprentice growing up inside of ShadowClan. His mother was killed when he and his siblings were only newborn kits, and the murderers were caught. Or so ShadowClan thought. As sudden as it ended, cats are slowly injured, attacked, or even killed by something mysterious. Does this relate to Pinepaw's past? Was Turtlestar wrong? Is Pinepaw next?
1. Prologue

**My first story since 2016, when I initially quit.. It's been so long! It feels good to be finally back with you all! I introduce to you 'Snake Eyes.' A story revolving around a ShadowClan apprentice known as Pinepaw. There'll be more details in the description about the story, but yeah! :) Enjoy!  
**

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Senses of fear clouded Turtlestar's veins as she listened on to her deputy, Swampstrike, mention that a queen and her kits had gone missing. The tom's eyes shared the same emotion as Turtlestar. It was a very chilly morning of Leaf-Bare. The snow was dappled along the ShadowClan camp, as it was the start of the rough season. Most cats were not awake, as it was hardly even light out. Turtlestar shivered. "Where was Berryfall last seen?" She inquired.

Her deputy shook his head. "I'm not entirely sure. She was last seen going to sleep by her own mate, Aspeneye." Swampstrike shook his fur loosely, the dark brown tabby fur contrasting from rising sky.

Turtlestar growled. "If she was last seen before we went to sleep, then why didn't you send out a patrol?"

Swampstrike paused. "I did. I sent out a patrol of Bushcloud, Specklenose, and Ospreywing to look for her and her kits, right before informing you now." The deputy stared up at the sky, his nose looking like a pink berry.

"I'll go look for Berryfall, anyway. She was my sister after all, and this disappearance is rather frightening. Running through the pine trees will help me get rid of those worrying emotions." The she-cat stepped up. She was mostly brown, but the black on top of her head and on her spine makes her look sort of turtle-like. She slipped out of her den, padding down the small slope leading up to it. She caught Stormpoppy staring at her. "Where are you going?" she asked.

The gray tabby with white paws waited for an answer. Turtlestar sighed, and replied, "Berryfall went missing along with her kits. I need to go look for them." Stormpoppy nodded her head and said nothing, signalling that the conversation was over. Turtlestar bolted out of the camp at first, running through the pine trees, before halting. Something felt wrong, she could feel it in her gut. The trees were blowing like it was going to topple over at any second, and the dirt felt extra soft and dry. Suddenly she heard a yowl.

Her ears perked to the right, and she dashed into that direction, before tripping and feeling a surge of pain through her right foot. She tumbled over into a bush of brambles and felt instant pain. Turtlestar heard the yowl again, and gained the energy to get back up, brambles inside of her or not.

She dashed towards the yowl again, a bit slower so she didn't hit a rock again. _I have to figure out what that yowl is! _Turtlestar got closer and closer before hiding behind a huge berry bush. Twining through thistles of the berry bush and the ripped them off, she peered out of the huge plant, and froze in fear. She saw two motionless bodies on the forest floor, and three crying kits. The bodies were those of Berryfall... and Ospreywing?

Turtlestar noticed no other cat was around, she padded out of the bush, carefully examining the scene. _What... what is this? _Both of the bodies were missing multiple clumps of fur, and bleeding from several wounds. Her eyes flickered to the small shapes, yowling pitifully, however, quietly. _There's no way these kits could've made yowls loud enough to nearly reach the camp. _Turtlestar suddenly recognized the shapes.

_They're Pinekit, Snowkit, and Rosekit. _Turtlestar remembered. She also felt huge grief. Her sister and and Turtlestar's mate were dead. She felt like screeching her heart out, but she couldn't. Turtlestar gulped as she heard rustling in the bushes behind her.

She leaped into a fighting position, but then she realized it was Swampstrike, Specklenose, and Bushcloud. "We came as fast as we could, Turtlestar. A badger that killed Berryfall came and attacked Ospreywing. He told us to run... I'm so sorry." Bushcloud whispered with sadness.

_Strange, the place doesn't reek of badger._ "At least you are safe yourselves, this is a huge loss for the clan, however." Turtlestar dipped her head toward Ospreywing, who was once the bright and caring cat she knew as her mate. Now all she sees is a husk, life drained from it with power hungry claws. Specklenose sighed.

"We were patrolling the perimeter after Swampstrike had sent us," The pale brown dappled tom explained. "We heard a badger looming nearby, and though it was a faint scent strangely. We came into this clearing before it had a chance to kill the kits." Turtlestar sighed, feeling the wind in her fur, helping her take all of this unfortunate news in.

Swampstrike flicked his tail. "So what you are telling us is that you killed these two cats?" His hard amber gaze burned into Bushcloud and Specklenose. "Rubbing yourself in mouse bile doesn't completely mask your scent." Turtlestar widened her eyes. _Swampstrike, you one smart cat. _

"W-What do you mean, Swampstrike? We didn't run in-" The she-cat was cut off by the Turtlestar.

"Bushcloud, Specklenose, you are hereby exiled from ShadowClan for the murder of my sister and mate. You shall leave now, and live on rats for all I care." Turtlestar hissed. She flicked her tail and picked up Pinekit. Swampstrike picked up Snowkit and Rosekit before both of them padded off towards camp, leaving Bushcloud and Specklenose in their dust." _My innocent sister and mate became the victims of snakes. _She sighed.

...

Turtlestar and Swampstrike eventually arrived back to camp, and the warriors were awake now. "Woah, woah! What's going on, Briarshine? Tell me, tell me!" A silver tabby with white tufted ears exclaimed.

Briarshine responded with a cuff around his ear. "Birchpaw, now is not the time for questions, Turtlestar and Swampstrike seem troubled, and they are holding Berryfall's kits!"

The two cats set the kits they were carrying down. "Cats of ShadowClan," Turtlestar called in the middle of the clearing. "Berryfall and Ospreywing were unfairly murdered by Specklenose and Bushcloud, and they even tried to lie about it. If you see them on our territory, don't be afraid to give them scars." She put her head down. _Now the kits won't have their mother anymore.  
_  
Swampstrike began another announcement. "As of Berryfall's passing, her kits are now motherless. Watertendril and Orchidstem, which one of you will be their adoptive parents from this day forward?" He called. A white she-cat with gray paws and tufted ears stepped forward.

"I can, Swampstrike. I'm sure Sootkit would love to have siblings, and he hasn't even opened his eyes yet." Swampstrike nodded.

"Orchidstem, you are now the mother to these three kits. Please treat them as well as Berryfall would." _Orchidstem will definitely be a good mother for them._ Turtlestar gave a slight smile.

Orchidstem padded over towards the three kits, and picked the tiny shapes up by their scruffs, with the help of Watertendril, and carried them to the nursery, where her and Watertendril also stayed in.

The breeze calmed down quite a lot, and Turtlestar sighed. "Mudlegs and Blizzardscratch, Swampstrike shall show you the bodies, and you will bury them by night rolls around." The two elders nodded and headed out of the camp with Swampstrike.

"Cats of all clans, this is a good time to grieve for your lost clanmates, and remember how much they meant to you." _StarClan, why did you have to take the most important cats in my life?_

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**And that's a wrap! I really hope you enjoyed it, it's only the Prologue, and yeah! See you soon!**

**\- Butterworts**


	2. Allegiances

**Time for the Allegiances Chapter! Next is Chapter 1! :)  
**

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**ALLEGIANCES**

**SHADOWCLAN  
**

**_Leader  
_**Turtlestar - brown she-cat with black on top of her head and on her spine with green eyes.

**_Deputy  
_**Swampstrike - dark tabby tom with amber eyes.

_**Medicine Cat  
**_Marshleaves - young black tom with brown paws and amber eyes.**  
**

_**Warriors  
**_Pondwillow - brown she-cat with white splotches  
_**Apprentice, Sootpaw**_

Frogface - broad-faced black tom  
_**Apprentice, Newtpaw**_

Mallowstem - ginger she-cat

Birchstump - cream tom with blue eyes

Lilytail - gray tabby she-cat with a long tail  
_**Apprentice, Rosepaw**_

Badgerclaw - large black and white tom  
_**Apprentice, Foxpaw**_

Tawnystep - brown tortoiseshell she-cat  
**_Apprentice, Pinepaw_**

Sagetooth - pale tom  
_**Apprentice, Snowpaw**_

Stormpoppy - young brown tabby she-cat with white paws and legs

Watertendril - dark brown tabby she-cat with white streaks

Aspeneye - brown tom  
_**Apprentice, Cedarpaw**_

Orchidstem - dark gray tabby she-cat

**_Apprentices  
_**Newtpaw - tortoiseshell she-cat

Cedarpaw - blue-gray tom

Foxpaw - ginger she-cat

Pinepaw - red-brown tom with green eyes and tufted ears

Snowpaw - white tabby she-cat

Rosepaw - tortoiseshell she-cat with unusually red ears

Sootpaw - dark gray tabby tom

**_Queens_**  
Owlspeck - brown white-speckled she-cat  
Mate: Sagetooth  
Kit: Birchkit

Ravengorse - black she-cat  
Mate: Badgerclaw  
Kits: Cinderkit, Featherkit

_**Elders  
**_Darkwish - black brown-speckled she-cat

Littlepaw - retired apprentice with all broken legs

**THUNDERCLAN**

_**Leader**_  
Honeystar - fluffy golden she-cat with hazel eyes

**_Deputy  
_**Thrushfeather - white tom with black front paws with blue eyes

**_Medicine Cat  
_**Applewillow - dark tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes

**_Warriors  
_**Irisflower - black she-cat

Stormpuddle - dark brown tabby tom

Nettlesplash - gray she-cat

Copperwhisker - copper-colored tom  
_**Apprentice, Scorchpaw**_

Cherrybriar - dark tortoiseshell she-cat

Pricklefur - dark brown tom with spiky fur and white paws

Willowskip - gray tabby she-cat  
_**Apprentice, Specklepaw**_

_**Apprentices**_  
Scorchpaw - gray tom with black speckles

Specklepaw - pale gray golden-speckled tom

**_Queens_**  
Shrewcloud - dark brown she-cat  
Mate: Stormpuddle  
Kits: Expecting

**_Elders  
_**Rosebush - tortoiseshell with white she-cat

Goldenwhisper - golden tabby she-cat

Kestrelnose - copper-colored she-cat

Bushcloud - brown tabby she-cat

**WINDCLAN**

_**Leader  
**_Ploverstar - pale tom with black on his head and spine

**_Deputy  
_**Hazelfeet - tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes

**_Medicine Cat  
_**Quailegg - white tabby she-cat with blue eyes

_**Warriors  
**_Alderbark - light brown tabby tom

Harebreeze - brown tom with white spots

Spottedflower - tortoiseshell she-cat

Plumbelly - black tabby she-cat  
_**Apprentice, Briarpaw**_

Whitelily - white she-cat

Rabbitears - light brown tom with white paws

Batscreech - black tom with white tufted ears  
_**Apprentice, Lionpaw**_

Willowtree - light gray she-cat

**_Apprentices  
_**Briarpaw - light brown she-cat

Lionpaw - golden tom

_**Queens  
**_Peardrop - cream she-cat with a white paw and white scruff  
Mate: Batscreech  
Kits: Cloudkit, Emberkit, Flarekit

_**Elders  
**_Robinflight - brown tom

Beechwing - cream tom

Pebbleback - gray she-cat with dark gray speckles

**RIVERCLAN**

_**Leader  
**_Brookstar - dark brown tabby she-cat with ice blue eyes

**_Deputy  
_**Springshade - white tabby she-cat with amber eyes

**_Medicine Cat  
_**Featherdust - light gray she-cat with blue eyes  
_**Apprentice, Perchpaw**_

_**Warriors  
**_Pikecatcher - light brown tabby tom

Salmonflurry - black she-cat with ginger spots and a fluffy ginger tail

Breezetail - black tom

Poppydust - tortoiseshell she-cat  
_**Apprentice, Otterpaw**_

Rubblepelt - dark gray tom

Ivyripple - white she-cat with black ears and a black tail  
**_Apprentice, Fishpaw_**

Adderbite - dark brown tabby tom

Icefang - white tabby she-cat

_**Apprentices  
**_Fishpaw - white tom with gray stripes

Otterpaw - brown tabby she-cat

Perchpaw - silver tabby tom with blue eyes

**_Queens  
_**Streamstalk - light gray she-cat with white speckles  
Mate: Rubblepelt  
Kits: Sleetkit, Bluekit, Brightkit

Frostbird - white she-cat  
Mate: Pikecatcher  
Kits: Sunkit, Elmkit

_**Elders  
**_Spidersky - black tom with a red tail

Swangaze - old long furred white she-cat

Duskleaf - young brown tabby she-cat with blinded blue eyes


	3. We Don't Blame You

**Ayyy! Sorry it took me so long to make this! I've been busy!  
**

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Pinepaw charged out of the apprentice's den, ready to take on another day. His reddish brown fur ruffled in the cold morning wind. The sun dappled on the dark grass, he could hardly feel the heat unfortunately. His green gaze looked around the clearing and locked on his sister, Rosepaw. She was very distinct as there was no one else in the clan with as red of ears as her. Striding up to her, Pinepaw asked, "Hey, Rosepaw, do you know where Tawnystep is?"

Rosepaw shook her head. "I haven't seen her since we shared tongues yesterday." Rosepaw sat up and shook her ears and licked her tortoiseshell fur. They were awfully close, along with Snowpaw. They weren't too affected by their mother's death, they were just born a few days after her death. Orchidstem was also very kind to them. Sootpaw.. not so much. _That arrogant tom can go choke on a load of fluff. _Pinepaw thought indignantly.

There was a rustling coming from towards the entrance of camp. Entering the marshy camp first with a large frog in his mouth was Birchstump. Behind him was Mallowstem and Tawnystep, both carrying small lizards. Birchstump stuck his chin up proudly. _That's the biggest frog I've ever seen! _Pinepaw was proud of the newly-made warrior. Birchstump seemed very discouraged after his mentor, Briarshine, joined StarClan. Rosepaw ran up to him. "Great catch, Birchstump!"

The silver tabby blinked awkwardly, and replied with a frog in his mouth, "Thanks, Rosepaw!" Pinepaw rolled his eyes. His sister obviously mooned over Birchstump, he wouldn't be shocked at all if they became mates. Tawnystep tapped her tail on Pinepaw's shoulder. Shaken away from his thoughts, Pinepaw looked at his mentor.

"I'm surprised you're up this early, Pinepaw. Usually I only ever see Rosepaw in the morning." The calico she-cat looked away, towards the apprentice's den. "Though, I'd be more surprised if Snowpaw was up this early." she joked. Pinepaw let out a snort. Snowpaw was always a late sleeper.

Pinepaw asked his mentor, "Hey, what will we be doing for training today?" _Please be fighting, please be fighting! _Tawnystep's amber gaze locked on with his. She started tapping her tail on her chin, as if she read his thoughts and was now teasing him.

"Hunting, today. But by your claws stretching out a whole fox-length, I say we do battle training tomorrow." she smiled. Pinepaw jumped up and down, smacking into the dirt with his paws. "Yes! Yes!"

A young blue-gray tom came out of the apprentice's den and observed Pinepaw's excitement. "What's got you so happy?"

"Battle training tomorrow, Cedarpaw! B-A-T-T-L-E-T-R-A-I-N-I-N-G! Do I have to spell it out for you?" Pinepaw said speedily towards the tom, energetic. Cedarpaw let out a stifled _mrrow _at Pinepaw's enthusiasm.

"It's not _that_ exciting. You just practice moves, it's nothing like the real rush of a battle." Cedarpaw flexed his claws. "Anyways, I'm gonna have a quick meal before I go off with your father. It's my assessment, today." The blue-gray tom padded towards the fresh-kill pile and hooked one of his claws into a small brown, skinny creature, and sat down next to Newtpaw.

Pinepaw frowned. _There's no way battle training couldn't be exciting! Cedarpaw has no idea what he's saying. _Pinepaw glanced back at his mentor. "When are we leaving for hunting? I really want to do it now but, do you have to do something else?"

Tawnystep looked towards the fresh-kill pile. "The prey is flourishing, go have a quick morsel and then meet me by the camp entrance. The calico she-cat flicked her tail and padded away. Pinepaw gazed his green eyes at the fresh-kill pile. _I'm not even hungry... _But he still gobbles up a skink, anyway.

Gulping, Pinepaw heads towards the entrance of camp and his mentor beckons him with her tail out of camp. "Alright, you remember how to catch frogs, correct?" she asked, Pinepaw nodded. "Good, alright let's go then."

The pine forest was so pretty in the morning, though, it rained last night, making it very muddy. Pinepaw liked all the trees looming over him and the peace. He truly felt that ShadowClan is the best clan. Not long after leaving the camp, past a sunflower, he saw a little rustle in a bush, and hopped out a frog. Pinepaw dropped into the hunter's crouch and slowly moved towards it, suddenly, he leaps at it and misses, the frog scurries away but Pinepaw thunders after it. Pouncing on the frog, Pinepaw quickly kills it with a bite and Tawnystep comes running over. "Great catch, though a little sloppy in the beginning."

He nodded, his accuracy was very poor, he had huge paws as well. Pinepaw buried his frog in the wet ground and snipped a flower from a nearby bush and laid on the spot he put the frog in, so he remembered. Then, the two cats padded off towards the east side of the forest. The sun tried to leak through the tall trees, but the leaves like cloaks blocked it out. Pinepaw let out a shiver. _It's so cold out... _He saw a small wren hop across the dirt, but he was busy shivering his pelt off. Tawnystep charged at the wren, taking it by surprise, and gave it a killing bite. "Thank you." He shivered.

Tawnystep looked over to him. "Maybe we should head back for a bit." She looked down at the wren she caught. "I'm not sure why it's so unusually cold now, when we were out earlier it wasn't this bad." Pinepaw shrugged before heading back to pick up his frog.

Pinepaw dug up the soft-furred creature and picked it up by it's scruff before padding towards the camp entrance. Tawnystep trailed behind him, seemingly distracted by something before she pads off into the bushes. He halted right beside the camp entrance, his paw nearly treading onto a sharp needle. _Mouse dung! That was close. Where did she run off to?_

He waited in silence for his mentor before sighing. _Whatever, I'll just go inside. _The reddish brown furred tom pads straight into the ShadowClan camp, once again regaining the smell of all the other cats. Pinepaw slipped over to the fresh-kill pile and dropped the frog in it. His green eyes locked onto his sister, Snowpaw, being awoken by her mentor Sagetooth. That cat gave Pinepaw the creeps, he was so old.

Pinepaw thought that for a moment before rolling his eyes. _Oh wow, Snowpaw being woken up for training. Never heard THAT before. _He goes over to his white pelted sister and mews, "Welcome back to the living world, sunshine!"

Snowpaw glared at him with her ice blue eyes and cuffed him over the ear. "Shut up, Pinepaw!" She exclaimed grumpily. _Haha. _She shook her fur and her mentor looked at her with annoyance. "Snowpaw, do you move any slower?" Sagetooth hissed. He smacked her with his paw jokingly, though, Snowpaw reacted with an eye roll.

_Great, my mentor runs off somewhere, Rosepaw is swooning over Birchstump, and Snowpaw is mad at her mentor. Normal day, normal life. _Pinepaw thought. He looked around the camp. Watertendril and her daughter Stormpoppy were sharing tongues, Badgerclaw and Ravengorse were sitting just outside of the nursery, cuddling and sharing a blackbird. Sootpaw was eating a vole, rather sloppily.

_When will Tawnystep come back? _Pinepaw thought with a prickle of impatience. Out of practically nowhere, Foxpaw came up to him and flicked her tail onto his shoulder. "How's your training going?" Foxpaw was always the most kind to him, other than his littermates, Aspeneye - his father, and Orchidstem - his adoptive mother. Pinepaw shrugged.

"It's going okay, Tawnystep ran off towards a bush somewhere but other than that, I'm doing battle training tomorrow!" He said, sounding half excited. _I want to battle train now! _

Foxpaw blinked, her yellow eyes so delicate. Pinepaw suddenly felt hot with embarrassment. Why was Foxpaw acting so weird towards him? Interrupting his thoughts, she replied, "Badgerclaw hasn't started battle training with me yet, unfortunately... Hey! Maybe I can ask him if we can train together?"

Pinepaw nodded. "That'd be fun!" _Battle training with FOXPAW? Yeah, I'll totally win!_

His ears perked up. He overheard Lilytail and Mallowstem talking in the distance while eating a frog.

"Do you ever miss Specklenose and Bushcloud?" Lilytail asked, with sadness in her voice. The gray tabby she-cat clearly missed her brother and sister. Mallowstem looked up and back down again before sighing.

"I have missed Specklenose ever since the day he was exiled, he was the most wonderful mate a cat could have, I wanted to have kits with him. I still refuse to believe he murdered Berryfall and Ospreywing." Mallowstem replied, clearly holding back the pain.

Lilytail nodded. "Yeah, I also miss Mudlegs, Blizzardscratch, and Briarshine. That outbreak of greencough was awful as well..." She trailed off. Pinepaw gave out a slight hiss to himself. _They're acting so whiny..._

Foxpaw shook Pinepaw from his thoughts. "They're just grieving, you know. We don't blame you for their deaths." She meowed, softly. _I know that! I'm no frog-brain._

He shrugged. "I know that, Foxpaw. It's just annoying hearing about them moping considering I've had no mother since I was a moon old." Pinepaw clenched the grass in his fist. It wasn't fair.

The ginger she-cat had understanding in her sunny gaze. "Pinepaw, I've been meaning to ask-"

A yowl was heard from outside the camp, one Pinepaw recognized as... _Tawnystep!_

Pinepaw pelted out of the camp and towards where the yowl was heard, Sagetooth, Foxpaw, and Aspeneye hot on his trail. He halted and his chest was throbbing, worry clouded his gaze. Padding through the bush with his clanmates, he saw a grim sight. Widening his eyes, he yowled in terror.

In front of him, the lifeless body of Owlspeck's only kit, Birchkit, lay next to the body of Littlepaw, an apprentice turned elder.

_Oh StarClan..._

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**And that is a wrap for Chapter 1! R.I.P Birchkit and Littlepaw!**


End file.
